Normally shoes have a heel region composed of at least three separate shaped layers: (1) the upper or outer surface of the shoe; (2) a stiffening member placed in contact with the upper; and (3) a velvety or felt facing material which is attached to the stiffening member and will come in contact with the heel of the foot. To manufacture this part of the shoe many separate steps are required both to make the three separate pieces and to assemble them into the heel region of a shoe. To simplify shoe production several attempts have been made to combine the stiffening member with the facing material thereby creating what is commonly called a one-piece shoe counter.
One technique for making a material which could be used to make one-piece shoe counters is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,673. This patent discloses making this material by loading a fiber structure with a synthetic resin, then heat treating the loaded fiber structure to form a stiffened fabric-like material. Unfortunately the product produced by this process must be subsequently buffed on one side to provide the highly desirable velvety or felt facing which will contact the heel area of the foot. Additionally the stiffened fabric produced by this process tends to produce shoe counters which allow the adhesive to soak through the shoe counter when adhesively joined to the shoe upper by hot melt cements. Where the adhesive soaks through the shoe counter hard discolored spots will be formed which ruin the velvety or felt handle and finish of the facing material. These spots also are unacceptable because they will be abrasive to the hose or heel region of the foot.
Further it would be desirable to be able to utilize fabrics made from nondyable synthetic fibers such as polypropylene in shoe counters. Since the shoe counter should match the shoe, using a nondyable fiber in a shoe counter would require making specific fiber colors to match specific shoe colors which is a difficult and expensive undertaking. Another drawback of using nondyable synthetic fibers is the tendency of the finished shoe counter to have an unevenly colored appearance which appears to be due to the thermoplastic resin used to stiffen the shoe counter.
Thus it would be a significant contribution to the art to develop a process for producing a composite material suitable for use as a one-piece shoe counter which has a velvety or felt facing side which is formed without abrasive buffing.
Additionally it would be a significant contribution to the art to develop a composite material which does not allow adhesives, used to attach the one-piece counter to the shoe upper, to soak through the shoe counter.
It would be a significant contribution to the art to develop a process for making one-piece shoe counters from nondyable synthetic fibers which provides a means to match the shoe counter to the shoe and an evenly colored appearance.
It is thus an object of this invention to provide a process for producing a composite material suitable for use as a one-piece shoe counter which has a velvety or felt facing side which is formed without abrasive buffing.
It is also a further object of this invention to provide a composite material which does not allow adhesives, used to attach the one-piece counter to the shoe upper, to soak through the shoe counter.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a process for making one-piece shoe counters from nondyable synthetic fiber which provides a means to match the shoe counter to the shoe and an evenly colored appearance.
Other aspects, objects, and several advantages of this invention will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure.